Woodworking blog entries tagged with 'refurbishing'

My Granfather’s name was Amos Leveille (pronounced “lev-ee-ay”) – 1909-1973. Upon my mother’s passing several years ago, I inherited what was left of my his tools. They had been left rusting in my mom’s basement for decades. I have been slowly refurbishing them, and putting them to use. It has been very enlightening, from both a tool and a person history perspective. I have given new life to these pieces, and they have returned the favor! Take a look&...

Here are are some sequential project photos showing the evolution of my recent fireplace installation.Final project posted on LJ here.
The starting point. Nowhere to go but up.
Everything removed and framing out the new fireplace insert.
Building the tile surround. FYI, Gorilla Tape is awesome for holding the big pieces in place while they set!
Mounting of the 50+lb mantle piece with 4 1/4” thick steel brackets. (it held my weight without moving)
Fabrication of the custom...

Hi,
Just read about this mobile woodshop. I think this is a great idea to keep kids engage and keep interest in the trade alive in the younger generation. This is a great idea.
http://willieswoodshop.com/
Insert from his website…
Welcome to Willie’s Woodshop
Since 1985, Stephen Willner (Willie) has been working in a classroom and credentialed by state of California , teaching basic woodworking skills to children. He is now moving to his classroom to a converted ...

Saw a mid-sized cabinet at a local auction last month, and wanted it. Not because I knew exactly what I’d do with it (isn’t that the way it often is??) but because of it’s age and the way it was constructed. In case bidding didn’t go according to plan, I took a some pictures just to capture the essence of it.
There were a couple of yellow pine battens nailed to the back so it could be nailed to the wall (in the barn?):
Doors looked good, even with baby-turd-brown...

As a bare bones woodworker strapped for cash and lacking in tools, there is no better way to get your foot in the door than refinishing and repair. And there’s no better source for raw materials than digging through the trash on town-wide cleanup days.
Though it may seem a bit “undignified” to the average woodworker, collecting old furniture on its way to the landfill and giving it new life, is not without its own skill set. Through this practice, one can, with truly mini...

Whoot. The plane arrived today. I unpacked it and started the inspection. I only found one surprise which is a good thing. Now all I need is for the IBC blade to arrive and I will be ready to “get er done”.
I picked up some brass sheet and rod yesterday, so I can also begin the process of creating a new lever to adjust the mouth. Thanks again Mads!!!!
So here are some photos.
Side view
Things to look out for in this photo. If you look at the depth adjustment...

Time to get this blog active again. I had been overrun with work for a long time and not doing much of anything in the shop for quite a while. That is not a good pattern for one’s work-life balance. In Feburary, I fell while on a business trip and this has temporarily left me without the use of my right leg. I have had lots of time to reflect and to renew my commitment to getting working in the shop again. Although, it is probably going to be another month or more before I am able...

But the past I am condemned to repeat is the creation of a new design that I have never done before, am not certain of the existence or availability of key materials and hardware, and possess the barest notion of what it is I want the thing to do. Welcome to my world.
I knew I wanted a sturdy outfeed table atop a cabinet that would provide much needed storage in my small shop and would provide another work surface. If that were the extent of my desires I’d have whipped it out in n...

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August 2010 – A day to remember…..or maybe, to forget.
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About 14 years ago, I built this 12×12 tool shed off the back of my shop...
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Money was pretty tight back then so I made good use out of recycled siding and some old doors from a previous remodeling project. I wanted to pour a concrete slab but it just wasn’t in the budget.
So instead, I built the floor out of treated 4×4s and 3/4 plywood sitting on concrete pads and gravel. This worked just fine for awhi...